It's not hard to tell if your cat has left a stain where she shouldn't. Cat urine odor is one of the strongest smells in nature, second only to an angry skunk.
The source of cat urine odor is its high concentration of ammonia. As cat urine dries, tiny crystals are left behind that contain ammonia and cat-specific proteins that create the strong, distinctive smell. The cat urine odor is a strong territory marker and will encourage your cat to be a "repeat offender" in the same spot.
When you clean the cat urine stain, avoid ammonia-based cleaners. The residue left by these cleaners will confuse and encourage your cat with its similar odor. By contrast, citrus-based cleaners will leave a scent that your cat will avoid.
Check Your Cat First
If urinating outside the box is out of character for your cat, consider taking her to see a veterinarian. The cat urine odor coming from your carpet may be a sign of illness or a bladder infection.
Sudden urine pattern changes may also be a sign of stress. Stress can be caused by a number of factors, including:
Banishing Cat Urine Odor
As ammonia is the primary culprit in cat urine, removing it should be your priority. A 1 to 1 solution of white vinegar and water, when applied to cat urine, is a great way to neutralize the ammonia.
Vinegar will also help remove cat urine odor from clothing. Just add a quarter cup of white vinegar to a load of laundry with your normal detergent and wash as normal. The white vinegar will neutralize the ammonia in your clothes, allowing the detergent to clean the clothes properly.
Commercially available stain/odor removers are another option. Available at most pet centers, commercial removers should have the term "enzyme" on its label. An Enzymatic cleaner breaks down the ammonia and protein in cat urine, removing the cat urine odor from your carpet or furniture. As with all cleaning products, test cleaners in an out of the way area before widespread use.
 | Carpet isn't cheap, so learning carpet cleaning tips is essential. If your carpet is dirty and worn-looking, it makes the rest of your house look uncared for. Cleaning your carpet isn't particularly difficult or expensive to maintain and keep clean, so protect your investment. |
 | Nothing creates a sense of panic like a spill on a carpet. Expensive, difficult to replace and right out there where all your guests can see, your carpet may seem more like a crystal vase. |
Carpet cleaning extends the life of your carpet and creates a healthy home environment. The dry method of carpet cleaning is a fast, effective way to clean your carpets that involves a minimal use of water. |
Have your carpet professionally cleaned periodically, every third or fourth time. Or you may find it more convenient to have it done professionally each time special cleaning is needed, rather than doing it yourself. |
During the course of our house-cleaning activities we may often be faced with a perplexing dilemma regarding a stain or odor that conventional methods and cleaning supplies simply cannot resolve. There are a multitude of tips to be found on the web, but sometimes the search can be daunting if you are unsure what to enter into the search query box, and who wants to wade through a tidal wave of results that yield no reliable information? While this list of helpful tips and solutions is by no means comprehensive of every problem you may face, it does encompass some of the most common, and each solution presented here has been found to be the most reliable method. |
